Stranger In A Strange Land
by saltedshotgun
Summary: Lisa is having a bad day. Castiel is doing penance. They meet.


**Stranger In A Strange Land**  
Lisa, Castiel, Ben. Gen.

_Summary:_ Lisa is having a bad day. Castiel is doing penance. They meet.  
_Notes:_ Fic is unbeta'd, english is not my first language.  
_Disclaimer: _I only wish they were mine.

* * *

Lisa is having a bad day. A horrible day, actually; one of those days when you wake up and you already know that nothing is going to go right. She's tired and cranky and has a headache. Her car wouldn't start this morning for the longest time, and her hair is a mess. She has no make-up on. She hasn't trimmed her eyebrows in days, let alone -

"Ben," she calls, her arms full of shopping bags. "A little help here?"

"In a second," Ben calls back from the front seat of her car; Lisa can see him playing with his phone and grits her teeth. She knows she shouldn't snap at Ben - he's usually a good kid, but he's hitting puberty hard and she's ivery/i tired.

"Not in a second," she calls back, voice cold, "right now!"

That's when one of the bags in her arms rips; oranges and apples scatter around the parking lot.

It takes a second for Lisa's brain to catch up. She screams then, voice cracking with frustration. "Son of a ibitch/i! "

She makes a choked off growl at the back of her throat and crouches to put the rest of her bags away and pick up whatever's close enough to reach.

She only grabs one single orange when everything comes crashing down around her; she goes to her knees and hangs her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. 'Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry,' she repeats to herself while she tries to control her breathing.

She's a big girl. She's not going to cry over oranges and apples, or a ripped bag or -

"Mom?" Ben says from somewhere to her right; Lisa stays kneeling, not even lifting her head to answer him.

"Go to the store for some more bags," she says.

"But - "

"Now, Ben."

She listens as Ben's footsteps fade quickly in the distance and closes her eyes. It's not just about oranges and apples, or her messy hair and wrinkles.

Her life's been a mess, ever since that car crash put her in the hospital. They moved again after she made a miraculous recovery and was released, something in her mind telling her that it's a good idea. She found a new job and things were good for a while, but Lisa's not twenty anymore; she's not even thirty. Good isn't good enough, and living alone in an empty house with a growing teenager isn't enough anymore, either.

The truth is, Lisa hasn't been happy since the accident, since they moved out from Battle Creek. She can't even remember if she's been happy before that; all she knows is that there's something missing from her life and, God, she thinks, if only she could remember what.

She successfully pushes back her tears and congratulates herself on this one single accomplishment of the day. She opens her eyes to get up, but instead stares at the pair of feet in front of her. She looks up and blinks into the bright afternoon sunlight.

"Um," she says and grimaces against the flare. The man in front of her reaches out a hand for her to grasp and slowly pulls her to her feet when Lisa does. His palm is dry and warm, Lisa notices, unlike hers that is stone-cold and dirty; his grip is strong yet gentle. "Thank you, I guess," she says and smiles shyly. The guy smiles back; it's just a tiny quirk of lips, wrinkling his eyes a little.

"You're welcome," he answers and hands her a paper bag. "Your fruits," he adds as a way of explanation. Lisa opens and closes her mouth, taking the bag from him. She looks inside and up at him again.

"Oh," she says, dumbfounded and for the first time really ilooks/i at the man - he's handsome enough, she thinks, if you're into that type; all dark, messy hair and kind, blue eyes. There's something about him, though, that once again reminds Lisa of how horrible she looks today; she tucks her hair behind her ear nervously, painfully aware of how greasy it is, and attempts her most dazzling smile. "I mean, thank you! You didn't have to do that."

"It was my pleasure," the man replies and they stand awkwardly for a few seconds while Lisa searches for something to say. The man's eyes never leave her face.

She takes a deep breath, then, determined to break the silence; she holds out a hand again and says, "I'm Lisa, by the way."

The man stares at her hand for a second before he takes it between both of his. "Castiel," he replies and instead of thinking that it's a strange name, Lisa thinks she finds him strangely familiar. He's so very odd, with his trenchcoat and piercing stare; Lisa is sure she's never seen him before, and yet she feels like she knows him, somehow.

She's alone with him in an empty parking lot and instead of feeling threatened, she feels safe for the first time in... Well, years.

"Thanks for the oranges," she says again, feeling like a dumbass. "You just - you could have walked away, you know. So thanks."

Castiel watches her, his eyes worried and troubled, like he's looking for something in Lisa's face. His expression goes soft after a second, and Lisa wonders if he's found it. "I'm sorry I cannot help you more," he says and there's genuine regret in his voice.

Lisa's smile falters, then, and she says, "It's alright." She means it, too, even though it's such an odd thing to say to a stranger. He doesn't know her, and she doesn't know him, and yet she believes him when he says it; believes that he would help, were it in his powers.

"It isn't alright, is it? Not really," Castiel replies, the woeful look not leaving his face, and his eyes flick behind Lisa's shoulder. "Your son is coming back," he says. "I should go. I'm glad I could talk to you."

"Me too," Lisa replies, voice weak and confused, as she watches Castiel turn around and walk away, only stopping by the hood of her car, tapping it with two fingers.

"Mom!" Ben calls from behind her and Lisa looks at him. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," Lisa replies truthfully. She turns back to her car only to find out that Castiel's already gone. "He just... Helped me pick up the oranges."

"Huh," Ben says, frowning. "So you don't need the bag anymore?"

Lisa smiles and ruffles his hair, laughing when Ben slaps her hand away with a groan. "Sorry, kiddo. We'll keep it in the trunk as a spare."

They put the bags on the back seat and sit up front, Lisa behind the wheel and Ben taking his usual spot beside her.

"You think the car'll start this time?" Ben says, half teasing and half serious.

"I hope so," Lisa murmurs and puts the key in the ignition. For the first time in weeks, the car coughs into life like it should, immediately and without trouble.

"Wow," Ben smirks, "we should throw a party or something."

Lisa doesn't reply; instead, she allows herself one last look into the rear view mirror as they leave the parking lot, but Castiel is nowhere in sight. 'Typical,' she thinks, feeling more sad than disappointed or bitter.

It isn't until ten minutes later that Lisa realises her headache is gone.


End file.
